Community Outreach Center and Daycare to Open June 1

COLUMBIA - Local workers are volunteering time and materials this week to help a new daycare and communtiy outreach center open its doors by June 1.

"My vision for Tree Top Innovative Learning Center is to change families, to impact parents, to empower northern Columbia, to have a place for our youth to call their own," owner Tiffany Campbell said. "Idle hands are the devil's workshop and we just want to pour back in our youth and let them know 'hey, we're here.There are other things you could be doing positively than walking the neighborhoods and looking for something negative to get into.'"

Tree Top began as a daycare center in Campell and her husband's basement. As the community's needs continued to grow, so did the center. Once the new facility is open, there will be more services. Students of all ages will be welcome, from infants to school-aged. However, Campbell said the outreach center will reach more than the children.

"How we stand out is taking care of the family as a whole," Campbell said. "We're not stopping just at the children. We're going to be open even after hours. That's where this communtiy outreach part will come into play."

The new center has a computer lab, equipping families with the tools they need to succeed in a career. Campbell said the center will offer training on household budgeting and job-seeking.

The center sets it educational goals high in all age groups.

"Our vision for our pre-k class is to have them enter into elementary education on-point or advanced," Campbell said. "We want to work with the elementary teachers to let us know what they expect from children entering into their classroom. We know they have goals and things set for the year and we don't want anyone to fall behind. Our goal for school-age is to have a place where they can come, have a mentorship, offer toutouring for them to reach their goals in their grades, and to have a place for them to relax and call their own."

Local businesses have donated their time and materials to making the center come to life.